2023 Women in Produce: Melinda Goodman

Melinda Goodman
Melinda Goodman
(Graphics: Tasha Fabela-Jonas and Freepik)

Editor's Note: The Packer’s 14th annual Women in Produce issue honors eight industry leaders who play pivotal roles in the success of their own organizations, as well as the produce industry as a whole. Read about this year's other honorees at the end of this story.


Melinda Goodman is the president and owner FullTilt Marketing in Minot, N.D.

The Packer: How did you become connected with the industry and FullTilt Marketing?

Goodman: I joke that potatoes were my gateway drug to the fresh produce industry. Growing up on a ranch in North Dakota, I was involved in our cattle operation as well as 4-H and FFA. I even had a small cattle herd of my own and worked both on the ranch and in the local grocery store, which we also owned.

I knew that I wanted to be involved in agriculture, but location had me thinking row crops and animal ag — typical things we see here in North Dakota. After graduating college while working on my master’s degree, I was working in the small-grains industry when I had the opportunity to apply for the marketing director job at the Red River Valley Potato Growers Association. In my mind, it was still North Dakota agriculture. I wasn’t yet thinking about the grand scale of fresh produce that lay before me until a few months later when I attended my first PMA Fresh Summit, and I quickly realized what I was now part of.

My work then led me to South Texas, where I managed Texas Citrus Marketing and then worked for a grower-shipper-importer in sales and business development, before going to work at Golden Sun Marketing in its earliest days and helping create the Disney Garden brand.

In 2010, I left Golden Sun and went out on my own starting my own agency. In 2012, based on a few projects we collaborated on, Heidi McIntyre and I collectively started FullTilt Marketing. At the end of 2019, I assumed the full ownership of FullTilt Marketing and have continued to grow the business with clients in fresh produce, agriculture, specialty foods, government and beyond.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I have a learner’s mindset. I love that marketing is always changing, so I get to figure things out, solve problems and be creative. And I love that fresh produce moves fast and forces you to be ready to change and adapt. I think you either love or hate that type of environment, and it suits my personality well.

But most of all I love the people. I love connecting with my clients and learning their stories. Everyone has such rich stories to tell, and it’s exciting to be in a field, in a warehouse, in a truck — anywhere that people feel comfortable to share their authentic self and what makes them or their business unique and candidly tell you their history so you can help them grow.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

I think the most challenging part of my job is helping some clients understand the true value of marketing. It’s not an item on a budget that has a direct correlation to return on investment or even a piece of an equipment with a depreciation schedule.

Clients often know that they need marketing, but it’s difficult for them to “value” it or understand the changing landscape and need to make adaptations and spends accordingly as the environment or demographic changes.

What is one accomplishment that you take pride in?

I’m excited when I see my current and past employees grow and have big wins. It means talented people have been on my team, and I’ve also helped them utilize their time and skills to succeed wherever they are heading next.

Many employees that have worked for me over the past 20 years have gone on to start their own businesses or take on bigger leadership roles. It’s their talent that got them there, but I hope I played even a small role in mentoring their success.

Where do you think this industry needs to go, or what would you like our industry to focus on more in the next few years?

We have some of the best and brightest talent in agriculture and retail — in some cases strong generational leadership — but we are missing the opportunity expand our recruitment efforts and tell our story to students outside of traditional agriculture or even fresh produce regions. I’m the prime example of that; I found produce by accident, even though I was committed to agriculture.

The time is now to continue to strengthen and expand our career pathways programs and share all the opportunities that fresh produce offers with a new generation. We need young people to learn our history, while also infusing youthful exuberance and new ideas into our industry. We should be meeting them and engaging with them in high school before they even get to college and strengthen relationships at universities throughout the country to broaden the talent pool that will continue to be the future of fresh produce.

There are more than 850,000 students in the FFA program alone that are already taking part in broad STEM activities that include production agriculture, agriscience, ag marketing, ag sales and more. Let’s not miss taking advantage of our future audience and talent bank.

How have traditional/modern gender roles evolved in your life experience?

Honestly, I’ve never really thought much about gender roles. Growing up on a ranch, I was expected to do the same thing as any hand, regardless of gender.

My mom and dad both instilled in me from the time I was young that there were no boundaries on what I could do. They didn’t discourage me from any types of jobs or careers I was interested in.  My mom was a small business owner in a time when that was also uncommon, so I only seen open doors, not barriers.

Because agriculture was my background, I was used to working with men. My parents also instilled a level of confidence that has served me well in all my experiences. It was a simple principle of work hard: know what you are doing, don’t make excuses.

I became a manager very young in my    career, before I was even 30. I don’t know that I ever worried about being a woman and not taken seriously. I worried about being young and not taken seriously.

Who is a mentor/person who’s given you guidance and encouragement over the years, and how did they do that?

I’ve had a variety of mentors and people who’ve given me encouragement over the years.

The first are my parents. They have always been my biggest cheerleaders, quick to give advice and to always be a North Star.

Robin Lucky was a very early mentor in my career. She was proof of strong female leadership. Her actions were always clear, and she was a great role model to learn from — say yes, do your homework, figure it out, ask questions, make connections and do the right thing, even when it’s hard.

Andy Tudor is another great mentor who has always been a friend to lean on for moral support and to bounce ideas off; he’s just one of those guys that is always learning, and that makes him a great resource.

Today as I reach a different level of my career, I think much of the encouragement comes from a sounding board of friends and peers who can help you see issues and opportunities through new lenses. They are a network of connections where I can pick up the phone and call and ask them questions. That list is the culmination of nearly 30 years of relationships and why cultivating relationships is so important.

What advice would you give to young women today who are just entering the industry?

Don’t worry about your age or your gender; worry about your skills and being part of the team. Every single person in every single job — man and woman, young and old — has fears, hopes, dreams, ideas, doubts. Everyone wants to be heard and included. Be the person that gets up every day and earns your spot at the table by learning your job or craft well and making space for yourself.

Ask questions, seek out mentors. Don’t expect that someone will hand you what they had to earn. I have rarely met someone who isn’t willing to share when asked or didn’t make space once they saw I had something to offer.

Simply showing up and being interested in getting better is half the battle. The second is owning your own voice. You will meet people who may want to hold you back. Step around them. They won’t change. You will meet people who don’t offer to help — that doesn’t mean they are holding you back. They may not know you need or want help. Ask for help, make them an ally. And find the people who will lift you up. Go with them and take more people with on your way up. My own personal beliefs have held me back more than any person around me. Don’t wait for others to take you with — forge a path.

How would you describe your leadership style?

My leadership style is probably a blend between transformational and authoritative. I’m very strategic and forward thinking; I believe in ideas and their power for change, and I believe I’m very good at both inspiring and doing so others are willing to follow.

I like each of my employees and even my clients to bring their best self but also push beyond their comfort zone to learn new things, better understand things or people they disagree with and find solutions while asking for help. We rarely find the best ideas in our comfort zones.

What are one or two hobbies that you enjoy?

I love being outside in nature, either hiking or ATV’ing. I have a very active mind that is hard to keep quiet. It seems spending time outside away from everything is the best way to give my mind a break and enjoy the sounds and sights of nature and relax.

Is there anything about you that you think would surprise people?

It might surprise people to learn that I interned for two summers during college at a coal mine as an environmental scientist. It was one of the greatest jobs to be outside all day, working in fields, prairies, wetlands and forest areas, documenting plants and animals, soil and water quality.

This was sustainability in action before we were talking about sustainability. I got to be on the front end of protecting existing natural areas and document recovery of reclaimed areas, even setting up “do not disturb” areas for a protected species. The reality of ending up in that internship was one of being curious and saying yes and always learning — but also my connection to agriculture.

I applied for the tour guide position, but HR mistakenly placed me in the interview pool for the environmental position due to my experience in agriculture. During the interview I felt baffled by the strange line of questions, but I rolled with it. About halfway through, HR must have noticed my concern and asked what position I applied for. I said tour guide, to which I was informed they filled that job yesterday. She then told me what job she was interviewing me for and asked if I wanted to continue, and I said “yes!”

It actually was a better job with far more experiences. I wouldn’t have even known about the job based on my search, but being willing to say yes is one of those things that always opens more doors and allows us opportunities to learn.

More 2023 Women in Produce honorees

 

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